Unknowingly Knowing You
by moments.in.spring
Summary: "Well," she smiled at him, grateful that his hand was still in hers. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?" "Nah," he smiled back. "Where's the fun in that?" AU Finchel


_I had this idea a year or two ago, and originally didn't intend to write it until the story randomly came back into my head less than a week ago while I was working on a couple of other things. Stories are funny like that._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or anything else really._

* * *

"Dads, tell me about my childhood," Rachel asked at the dinner table, her five-year-old legs not reaching the floor.

"Oh Princess," her Daddy replied. "Your childhood isn't over just yet."

Rachel frowned. "But Daddy, I'm in Kindergarten!" she complained, throwing her hands in the air. "Mrs. Woods even let me pass out the milk by myself."

"Wow," her Papa responded. "All by yourself. What do you say, Hiram? Why don't we tell this young lady here all about her glorious and revolutionary childhood."

"Well, Leroy, the real question is, what _doesn't_ she know about her childhood?"

"Hmm… well she knows about Barbra, Celine, the classics, dance classes…"

"Yes dads," she rolled her eyes, "That much I know. I've been singing _Don't Rain On My Parade _for years and I've been outshining everyone at dance since then too, but other than that, the first thing I remember was my first singing class here in New York. That's what I want to know. The things before New York."

"Well we lived in Lima, sweetheart. Don't you remember us don't talking about that? We must have mentioned it."

"We lived in a bean daddy? Was it a giant bean?" Rachel asked curiously, her eyes wide. Mrs. Woods had read Jack and the Beanstalk the other day, and she's pretty sure she ate lima beans a couple of times, even if they were gross.

"No sweetie, Lima Ohio, it's a city. You were born there and lived there for the first two years of your life."

"It's where you learned _Don't Rain On My Parade_ and other classics too," her Papa said, reminiscing. "Even rock songs too... I believe..."

"That's right!" her Daddy exclaimed. "Journey, most especially. Every song Carole had playing in her house, Rachel would always try to dance to it. Right Leroy?"

"Oh yes. I remember when Carole first watched Funny Girl, and Rachel just as into it as she was, if not more. That's when we knew."

"Dads!" Rachel explained, a bit irritated that they've seemed to have forgotten all about her. "Who's Carole?"

"You don't remember Carole?" her Daddy looked at her, and then her Papa.

"No," she frowned, Carole wasn't a name that sounded familiar.

"She was our neighbor in Lima. Oh, we were such good friends. But it wasn't until we both had kids that we got close. Her son, Finn, was your very best friend."

"Finn," she repeated. It was a cool name. It wasn't Nick, but it was a pretty interesting name - for a guy.

"He was only four months older than you, and you two were always together. It was so adorable. Finn would always cry when you left. And he was the _only_ person you would share your toys with. You didn't even like to share them with us."

Rachel leaned back in her chair in disbelief. She had a friend? A best friend? She certainly didn't have one at school, or dance class.

"Where's Finn now?" she asked.

"He's still in Lima with Carole," her Daddy explained. "When your Papa's firm got the opportunity to relocate to New York, we couldn't pass it up. Especially since you've got a greater chance of becoming a star here."

"Can you believe it's been three years?" her Papa said softly. "I know we've been meaning to stay in contact with Carole, but time just flew by so fast."

"It's crazy. You know, we should call her. It must be hard being a single mom. Maybe they could come visit."

"That'll be nice," her Papa replied, while she ate her dinner in silence, her mind wandering with thoughts on this Finn boy.

She waited the rest of the night for her dads to call, but they never did.

So she waited the next day, and the day after that, before she realized that they probably forgot.

Rachel wanted to meet Finn. He was supposedly her friend, and maybe it would be nice to have a friend. Plus, if she was willing to share her toys with Finn, then he couldn't be like the mean boys at her school.

Tired of waiting, she took it upon herself to remind her dads about calling Carole, and she stood right next to them as they dialed the number they had saved in their personal phone book.

"Uh huh, okay. Sorry about that," her Daddy said on the phone. "Wrong number," he said to her, looking sad himself.

"Oh no," her Papa said, but she just sulked her head down, and kept it down even at school the next day. She had her hopes up that maybe when Finn came over they could play with the Easy Bake Oven she got for her 5th birthday. Then maybe they could play the games he wanted to play. Even if they were boy games.

She was still sad during recess. Sitting on the bench, she sipped on her lemonade and munched on her chocolate covered pretzels, alone.

"Hi," Rachel heard before looking up to see a girl who wasn't in her class, but looked like she about her age. "Do want to play Pretend with me?" Rachel twisted her lips in deep concentration. Pretend was one of her favorite games, especially when she pretended she was a famous celebrity, and she figured it would be nice to play it with someone.

"Okay," she said. "I'm Rachel, and I call dibs on Barbra."

"Alright. I'm Tina," the girl smiled.

"Tina, you're going to be my best friend, okay?" Rachel demanded, pointing a finger at her.

"Okay," Tina shrugged, and with that, Rachel finished her snacks, and stood up to play with her new friend.

"Hey, Rachel..." Tina began as they walked over to play.

"Yes?"

"Who's Barbra?"

* * *

"Let's take a road trip," Rachel suggested, lying on her bed. She looked directly up at the wall, hoping her best friend wouldn't question her motivation for the trip.

"Really," Tina scoffed, from Rachel's office chair, and Rachel knew she was caught. "You want to spend our spring break on the road? But you're studying in London for college."

"So? What's your point?" Rachel responded, summoning her clever acting skills before sitting up, plastering on an innocent face.

"My point is that I've already packed my most fashionable clothes for London for the chance of meeting cute guys and you are not ruining that for me," Tina crossed her arms.

"But we don't have to go to London now," Rachel was begging now, she knew, but it was worth a shot. "I mean I'm going there during summer anyway. Besides, if I'm going to spend the next four years in Britain, I think I should use the few months I have left to really appreciate what we have over here. Hence, a road trip," Rachel justified, using Tina's silence to continue. "And maybe we can, I don't know, drive through Ohio…" Rachel bit her lip.

"Oh no, not this again. Rachel, we've been friends for 13 years, and you're still crushing over this Finn guy."

"I'm not crushing over him, I just want to meet him," which was true. Her friendship with Tina did not hinder her yearn to meet Finn. Every time her dads would casually bring up Lima, her curiosity for her unknown best friend only grew. She found dozens of photographs- the two of them in the playpen with only their diapers, the two of them in their highchairs with baby food all over their faces, even one with the two of them in the bathtub together, playing with soap bubbles. What irked her most was how in every single photo, Finn was never looking at the camera. She, of course, always looked at the camera, but never Finn. He was always looking at her.

It bothered her to no end that there was someone in this universe who played a significant role in her life - and she knew close to nothing about him. Was he funny? Was he smart? Did he like Barbra? She didn't know. And one thing Rachel did not like was not knowing. It was out of her character to not know everything about her life, and until she and Finn finally met, she could never be in peace. "I really, really, just want to meet him," she repeated again, sighing at how difficult this was.

"Oh please," Tina rolled her eyes. "You have a picture of him on your nightstand."

That was also true. Looking at said picture, she couldn't help but smile. Of all the photographs she had found, this was her favorite. Finn's eyes were on her and hers at the photographer, as expected, but this time they were smiling to each other, as if they were giggling over something funny, something that only the two of them knew, like a hidden secret. How they could have done so at less than a year old? She doesn't know. But the image doesn't lie.

"It's not my fault he just happens to be in my favorite baby picture," she rationalized.

"Do you hear yourself, Rachel? Just think about it, you've only had two boyfriends, which both ended because-"

"Because they could not handle the sheer, strikingly talented yet a bit over-the-top persona of Rachel Berry." Again, very true. It was pretty obvious that she wasn't the easiest person to date - with her ambition and all. She had accepted this a long time ago, and if no one was ready for her, all of her, then it was their lost. "You just don't see this side that guys see because you're my best friend, and you know more than anyone how much this would mean to me."

Rachel smiled to herself as she watched Tina uncross her arms. Sometimes it was just too easy.

"Damn it! You just had to play the best friend card, did you?"

"So, we leave at 6 tomorrow?"

"7," Tina grunted.

* * *

"Are you sure you have the right address?" Tina asked from the passenger seat.

"I'm pretty sure my dads would remember their old address," Rachel replied. Her dads weren't _fully_ aware of the true extent of her fascination with Finn Hudson. Ever since she was 5, she stopped asking direct questions, and tried to be more subtle around them. She was smart enough to know that their meddling would cause more trouble than she needed. She could do this on her own. "All we got to do is to look for the house next to it. Ah, we're here." She stopped the car. "This is Finn's house, I could tell from the pictures."

"Okay, so let's just say that by the off chance that Finn and his mom haven't moved, what exactly are you going to do? Are you just going to ring the doorbell and say 'hi, I'm Rachel, and I've been obsessed with you for 13 years,'?"

"Gosh no."

In fact, Rachel had thought about this exact moment in great detail. This was the moment she's been waiting for since she was five. There's no way she wouldn't be prepared. "First, _you_ ring the doorbell-"

"Me? Why me?"

"Because they don't know you. Now, I'll be here in the car, out of sight, but still looking through my binoculars to see if it's actually them."

"No offense Rachel, but how are you supposed to know how Finn looks like. All you know is the side of his baby head."

"That's why we hope that Carole answers the door. I've seen pictures of her too, I know how she kind of looks like and it's a safer bet. Please Tina."

"We don't have to, look-" Tina pointed to the car that was currently pulling into the driveway of said house.

"Duck!" Rachel exclaimed, pulling Tina's head down as she lowered hers just enough to see out the window. She heart sped up as the driver's door opened. She gasped as she saw Carole, older, yet definitely the same one from the pictures exit the car.

"It's Carole," Rachel whispered, her eyes now trained on the passenger door that was now open. She held her breath as a man exited the car, a man around her age.

"It's Finn," she heard Tina say, yet her eyes never left the man. He was confident, with styled hair and perfect posture, and he was fashionably dressed, complete with ascot and all. "I'm just saying, the herbal lotion would have been a better deal in the long run," she heard him say while he walked into the house.

"Well, that was interesting," Tina sat up. Rachel on the other hand still couldn't move.

"So, what you going to do now?" Tina continued.

"I'm not ready," Rachel said, sitting up in her seat, before she turned on the car engine. "This hasn't gone according to plan, and now I'm just thrown in the loop, now come on, buckle up, let's go."

Rachel was smart enough to know that going into something with no plan would almost always lead to a disaster. No, she had to come up with a plan. A good, well-thought plan, and with her current state of mind, she was definitely not ready to come up with a new plan.

"Just like that, huh? All those years, you're just going to drive away?"

"I saw him, Tina. That's enough for me, for now at least. When I devise a fuller, better plan, then I'll come back. At least I know he's out there." Rachel said, more to herself than to Tina.

"Stop the car!" Tina shouted, causing Rachel to slam on the breaks. "Quick, pull over, hotties at 12 o'clock."

Complying for her friend, she pulled over and looked to see two guys jogging, with both their shirts off.

"Damn, check out the abs on that guy. Oh, and he's Asian too, that's a bonus," Rachel heard her friend say, but her eyes were focused on another guy, the taller one, with light yet dark brown colored hair, and a perfectly chiseled chest, perfect for his built. As if he knew she was watching, he turned his head, and his light brown eyes met her dark ones. And rationally, she would have turn her head, and drive away. But not this time. As they jogged pass them, she could see his face more clearly, and she couldn't help the but to admire this man. He shot her a half-smile as they jogged by, and she found herself smiling too.

"Wow," Tina said after they left. "Who knew there could be hot guys in Lima?"

She nodded her head, her head even more puzzled. While she should be concerned over Finn, she can't seem to get those eyes out of her head. For some strange reason, those eyes seemed so… familiar to her.

* * *

"Are you sure you can't come home?" her Papa asked.

"You know I can't. Between rehearsals and school work, I'm swamped. But just think about it, in 6 months I'll be home for good, with a degree and a reputation."

"And we can't wait. But still, the holidays don't feel the same without you here."

"Papa… come on, you'll have a great Hanukkah and New Years with Daddy."

"I know. I know. Well, I guess I can't complain too much, Carole and Burt will be over."

"Wait, wait, what?" Rachel swallowed, carefully choosing her next words. "Carole, as in the Carole who lives in Lima?" She was shocked. There's just no way, she thought. Life didn't work like that.

"Oh yeah, didn't we tell you? We ran into Carole a couple months of ago. Crazy huh? As it turns out, Finn goes to school here."

"You're kidding me, right? That's… interesting." It truly was. Was this a sign that it was time for her to finish the mission she had abandoned over three years ago?

"Must have escaped our minds. But yeah, they've been coming over, having dinner when they're town. She remarried, you know? Seems like she's happy. And it'll be nice to celebrate the holidays with them."

Finn still came up in her mind, though she must admit not as often. Still, he was a mystery that needed to be solved. Sure, she may technically know what he looked like, but she wanted to know more. She had been planning, off and on, their next encounter. Now that she knew his face, she could see herself being best friends with Finn, so he was definitely worth getting to know. And now, it seemed as if that dream was turning into a reality.

Yet she couldn't get the mysterious, attractive man with the eyes and smile out of her head. In fact, he took over Finn's role as the main occupant in her head. How he had that affect on her, she had no clue. Yet she did know that there was something between the two of them, something she had to know, even if it meant going back to Lima.

"So, how's the British boy you've been dating," her Papa asked.

"Oh we broke up weeks ago, Papa," she laughed, seeing how that guy was no where near her mind. "Yeah, according to him, he didn't like my accent."

* * *

"Carole and Burt are throwing a 10 year anniversary party," her dad spoke at the dinner table. "And we've been invited."

Rachel nearly choked on her food. It honestly amazed her how the mention of anything Lima related brought back the curiosity in her. At 25 years old, she had told herself to get over this Lima curiosity she had. She had thought her chance had came when she returned to New York, yet here they are three years later, and she still had yet to encounter either Finn or Carole.

Still, as hard as she may try, Rachel couldn't stop her interest in Lima. This was her chance, most certainly. It had to be.

"Sounds like fun," her Papa replied. "It'll be a great time to catch up with her. We can always count on Carole to throw a great party. The food, the decor, and the music... oh it'll be great."

"Carole Hudson?"

"Oh that's right!" her Papa clasped his hands together. "You haven't officially met all of them yet. It's actually Carole Hummel now, dear."

"It's crazy how whenever they're here, you're always busy. You know, you should come with us to Lima for the party, if you're not too busy of course. I'm sure they would love to see you."

"You know, Carole's been asking about you. You always did have her wrapped around your tiny little fingers when you were a baby."

"Will Finn be there?" she asked bluntly, perhaps it was time that she cut to the chase around her dads.

"That's what he said last Friday."

"Wait, Finn was here last Friday?!" She shook her head. So close, yet so far.

"Yeah, he helped fixed the electricity and the plumbing and all that jazz. You know, you really should come by more often if you want the full scoop dear. Looks like dinner every Wednesday isn't cutting it."

"Looks like it," she agreed. It really was her chance. She could, finally, gain closure after nearly two decades regarding Finn, and she might even meet the man with the eyes. "When's the party?"

"In about a month or so."

"I'd love to go," she told them. "But Tina would never forgive me if I didn't take her," she remembered, being how her best friend still gushed over 'Asian Abs Man' from time to time. Tina had clearly picked up on some of her traits. "Send in the RSVP for four."

* * *

The party was absolutely beautiful. She could tell the minute she walked in. Everything was planned perfectly. The fruit was cut, the centerpieces were flawless, even the grass couldn't have been greener.

Rachel was anxious walking into the party, her arm linked around Tina. The moment was about to arrive. She was going to the mysterious Finn of the past. She was going to close a very, very long chapter in her book, and maybe even start a new one.

"Hiram! Leroy! You made it!" Rachel heard, and watched as Carole came up to her dads and gave each of them a hug. It was strange, seeing the three of them together. It was almost as if the past was uniting with the present right before her very eyes. She wondered if the same would happen with her and Finn.

"And Rachel. Oh, look at you!" Carole exclaimed, pulling Rachel in for a hug. "I can't believe it's been 25 years since I first held you. Now look at you. Just as beautiful as I remembered, and your eyes, they haven't changed one bit," Carole said, while her fingers pinched her cheek.

"Thank you. This is my friend, Tina," Rachel introduced.

"Welcome! Welcome! My son's someone running around here. He's been anxious to see you, Rachel."

"Really?" Rachel asked, wondering if Finn had any recollection of the two of them as kids.

"Of course! Now go, eat. Have a good time." Carole smiled, which Rachel returned. Carole had a warm, welcoming vibe to her that Rachel found comforting.

"This time, I have it all planned out," Rachel told Tina when they took their seats. "When I find Finn, we'll start with some small talk. Definitely throw in some New York related things, since he lives there. I don't want to freak him out right away, you know? You got to build the friendship. Then, I'll casually bring up our childhood, which would hopefully lead to laughter. And then laughter would lead to us being best friends, again."

"Interesting, the way I remembered it when we were younger was that you told me we were going to be best friends, and I said alright."

"Best decision you've ever made," Rachel laughed.

"Well, today, I only have one plan- find my 'Asian Abs Man', after that, I'm just going to go with it."

"Uh huh," Rachel mumbled. "The odds of you finding him are about as even as me finding my mystery guy, but hey, we are determined!" She declared, raising her glass which she clicked with Tina's before taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Hey, isn't that Finn! He's coming this way!" Tina exclaimed, and immediately Rachel swallowed her drink, before regaining her composure.

"Hi! I'm-" she began when he came close before she was cut off with a hug.

"Rachel!" he exclaimed. "It's so nice to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you!"

"Thank you," she said, a bit surprised, yet hugged him back. Huh. He said "meet." So he didn't remember her, but he must have heard about her. Probably from Carole. Interesting, she might have to tweak that step in the plan. It's a good thing she had gotten better at devising plans since the last time she was here.

"It's a great party," she said, proud of herself for starting the small talk.

"You think so? I planned everything, so I hope that it does my parents' justice on their anniversary," he said, his head tilted as his eyes observed the party.

"Trust me, it's one of the best parties I've been to, and I've been to several great after parties."

"Oh yes! Rachel Berry, aka Ms. Broadway Diva! Even though I became a fashion designer, my first dream was to be on Broadway."

"No way," Rachel said in disbelief, looks like her and Finn were more similar than she thought. This was excellent news. There must have been a reason why she and Finn were such good friends as babies, and it looked like this was it.

"I even went to NYADA! For a couple of years only, but still, even though it wasn't my calling, I still have a deep appreciation of it."

"Let me get you tickets to my show," she smiled. "Front row seats."

"Seriously? Oh my goodness, thank you! I'm so glad to have you as my new best friend," he squealed, throwing his arms around her yet again. Rachel smiled, pleased at the developments she had made with Finn. Sure, they may not have brought exactly the subject up their past, but at least they were apparently best friends again. That's what really mattered. She'll ask him about it later.

She smiled at Tina, who was arching her eyebrow at her. "Oh, this is my best friend, Tina, she's an actress too, just not on Broadway."

"I love your dress," he gasped at Tina, who was more than willing to accept the compliment.

"Thank you," Tina said. "Listen, I've got a question for you."

"Shoot away."

"Do you happen to know an Asian man who really, really, really nice abs" Tina asked, earning her an elbow nudge from Rachel.

"Do I ever… in fact, there he is right now," he said, pointing to the back gate.

Turning around, Rachel's heart stopped. Tina's man was there. But so was _her guy_. The gorgeous man she had seen once before. He was here. And he was looking right at her.

"Oh no, my cousin's attacking the chocolate fountain again. Excuse me ladies," Kurt said, before heading to the dessert table.

"Well, that's my cue to leave too," Tina spoke, pushing her chair back.

"Tina, you can't just leave me here," Rachel said, frantically grabbing Tina's arm.

"Rachel, I've been dreaming about this moment for 7 years. You've met your Finn, now it's my turn to meet my man. And besides, his friend is totally checking you out, just like he was the last time we saw them too," Tina stood up, before heading over.

Cautiously turning her head, Rachel looked to where the gorgeous man was standing. Sure enough, he was still looking at her, a smile on his face.

Catching herself smiling, she bit her lip, a blush on her face. She couldn't talk to him yet. She had to come up with a plan first. She was Rachel Berry, and Rachel Berry was always prepared. So she took a sip of her lemonade, and started to plan. Small talk always works, she decided. Then the next step would be to subtly flirt. So subtle, that he would only catch it if he was desperate for it. Then, she'll test him. She would bring forth all her Rachel Berry intensity, and if he still seemed into her, then she'll date him. Probably as long as his eyes were still light brown, and his smile still crooked.

She could feel him staring at her, his gaze burning into her back. She quickly glanced at him, and when he caught her eye, he started walking towards her. Feeling all flushed, she looked away, and kept drinking her lemonade while running through the plan over and over again.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you," she heard a raw voice say, and he looked up to see the man with the eyes and the smile standing next to her.

"And why is that," she subconsciously licked her lips, tasting the lemonade on them. He was more gorgeous up close, she decided. With two dimples carved into his face to highlight his smile, and a dozen of freckles scattered across his face, it's no wonder she was so instantly attracted to him.

"Because I made it," he laughed, taking the empty seat next to her. "Trust me, you do not want to know how many tablespoons of sugar I put into it."

"Well that explains why I can't stop drinking it," she said, which was partially true, but there was no way she was letting him know that the other reason why was because she currently on fire from his gaze, and the cold, sweet juice of the lemons could only somewhat cool her off. Plus, lemonade was her absolute favorite beverage ever since she was a kid.

"You know, I've been running around doing errands for this party, that I haven't had the chance to drink any yet," he said, glancing back and forth between her and her glass. "May I?"

"Of course, I mean you did make it," she bit her lip, and watched in awe and he took a sip straight from her glass.

"Ah," he moaned when he was done. "Tasty."

"So, my friend seems pretty interested in your friend," he said, pointing over to where Tina was currently laughing with the man with the abs.

"Would you look at that? Oh Tina," she chuckled. "Looks like my best friend got what she wanted all along."

"Mike too," he said before laughing. "Who would have known? My best friend, and your best friend."

He looked and her again, and when their eyes met, she found herself laughing harder. It was almost like a weird paradox, he made her nervous, but at the same comfortable.

When their laughter died down, she decided it was time to introduce herself.

"I'm Rachel. Rachel Berry," she stuck her hand out, frowning when his smile dissipated, and she wondered for a second what she could have possibly done wrong.

"Wait, are you being serious right now?" he asked, honestly.

She frowned. "Yes, my name is in fact Ra-"

"Rachel Berry, I know," he said, and she wished they could go back thirty seconds ago, when he was still smiling at her, and not giving her a face that looked as if he were… hurt.

"Is something wrong?" she asked curiously. This was not a part of her plan, and she had no idea how to fix it. Boldly, she turned towards him, and put her hand on his thigh, surprised at how calming it was- to the both of them.

"No, no," he said quickly, taking a hold of her hand before squeezing it in reassurance. "It's just… interesting. It's nothing, really."

"Well," she smiled at him, grateful that his hand was still in hers. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"Nah," he smiled back. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Really, you're not going to tell me your name?"

"Nope, you're going to have to figure it out yourself. Think of it as a game. No asking other people, that's cheating. If you figure it, you win a prize. If you don't, well then you'll never know my name."

"That's not fair," she huffed, taking her hand away from his before crossing her arms. "You know my name. I deserve to know yours."

"And you will, if you win," he smile never wavering. "And trust me," he began, before leaning over toward her. "The prize will be so worth it," he whispered, making her inhale sharply.

"Fine," she gave in, not missing the way he smiled. He leaned back, and she found herself missing the feel of how close his body was to hers. "But what do I call you in the meantime?"

"You," he said simply.

"You?" she giggled, rolling her eyes a bit.

"You rang?" he joked, and she wondered how someone could be so hot yet adorable at the same time.

"You're silly," she smiled. "But I'm not calling you, you."

"Suit yourself," he said, wrapping his arm around her. She doesn't mind his forwardness, she decided.

"Just so you know, I'm totally going to win," she said, slightly moving a centimeter toward him, just to see if he would notice. She bit her lip when he moved even closer. Oh yeah, he definitely noticed.

"Oh really," he smirked.

"I love a good mystery," she said smugly.

* * *

"So since you love games, I have a proposition for you," she said after sharing a desert with her John Doe. Tina had disappeared with Mike, Finn was still running around the party making sure everything was perfect, and her dads were still talking with Carole and a man whom she presumed was Burt. Lucky for her, that meant spending alone time with her mystery man.

"I'm listening," he said.

"How about we play a game to help me figure out your name. Ever played _20 Questions_?"

"Course I have," he said. "And sure, but first, we need to establish a couple rules. You can't ask me anything related to my name, like you can't ask me if the letter H is my name, or if it rhymes with… I don't know, shark. You can ask me personal questions, questions that may inductively lead you to figuring out my name."

"You really are making this hard for me, aren't you?" she pouted her lips.

"You're making hard on yourself," he smirked. "Now go, ask away."

"Fine," she replied. She had to think thoroughly. His name relied on these 20 questions. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a couple of personal questions too, just to know him better.

"How do you know Carole? I mean, you made the lemonade for the party. You said you've been running around doing errands.."

He smiled instantly. "I've known her for as long as I can remember. Next."

She frowned. She should have known he was going to give her short responses. She'd have to be more specific.

"How old are you?"

He laughed. "I'm 25."

So they were the same age. That was good to know.

"Where do you live?" Not a bad question. She could look up his address, if she wanted to.

"New York City."

She gasped. They lived in the same city? What are the odds of that? Did he live with Finn?

"No way! I live there!" she giggled. This was spectacular news. "How long have you been living there?"

"Seven years. My brother and I went to college there," he smirked.

"What do you do for a living?" she asked, curiously.

"I'm working on being a director. Right now, I'm just an assistant director for some cheesy action movie, but once my name comes out, hopefully there will be more opportunities," he shrugged.

"I'm an actress! On Broadway though. But still. With you, and me in New York, we can take over the entire city!" she said in excitement.

"Sounds like a plan," he said. He then took her hand, and laced it with his. She sighed in contentment.

"How many girlfriends did you have?" she asked, only somewhat afraid to hear the answer. A man as good looking and as charming as he was must have many ladies fawning over him.

"Three," he looked at her.

"Only three?" she said, surprised. That's only a fraction of what she expected.

"Maybe four. It depends," he said, his voice slightly wavering.

"On what?" she said, quietly.

"On how well this name game goes," he said quickly clearing his throat. "Anyway, that's eight. You've got twelve left."

"Hmm…" she started, still looking at his face and blush he was masking. "Family members?" He did mention a brother, she remembered.

"A lot. I've got so many cousins, you have no idea."

She rolled her eyes. "You know that's not what I mean. How many main family members do you have?"

"Four," he said simply.

"Are you going to tell me their names?" she wondered, he was too good at this game.

"No, can't trust you with that. Now, you're wasting you questions. Nine left."

He was right. She had to be more careful. "Do you own any social media sites?" They certainly were useful when it came to stalking, occasionally. She remembered when she looked up Finn's name back in high school, only to see that there were no results.

"Nope."

This was going to be harder than she thought. He was right, she had to figure it out indirectly.

"What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Hmm… well I work out a lot. Mainly just running," he turned towards her, "but you would know that already, would you?" he smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" she looked away, to hide her blush. He couldn't have remembered something that happened so many years ago. Could he?

"Really? Because I seem to remember you stopping your car to stare at me shirtless."

"You know, I could have been staring at Mike."

"Sure you were. And I'm sure you made eye contact with him. Oh wait, that was me too." he smirked.

"You remember that?" she blushed. She certainly was doing that a lot.

To her surprise, he gently took her chin and raised it toward him. "I could never forget your face."

She bit her lip, and quickly kissed his cheek before sitting back in her chair. If he could be forward, so could she. "You're making me waste my questions. I've got only… six left," she frowned. She wasn't getting too far.

"Can you at least tell me your last name?" she begged.

"Sorry, I can't. It's against the rules."

"Ugh! You're making this too hard!" she glared at him. He only chuckled.

"You're asking the wrong questions. Ask questions that you wouldn't think to ask when it comes to figuring out my name."

"Fine. Thoughts on Barbra Streisand?"

"She's okay."

Rachel out a sigh of relief. At least he didn't hate Barbra, or worse, not know who she was. Rachel could easily turn that 'okay' into a 'fantastic' or something else along what was obviously the truth.

"You're still wasting your questions. Think more general."

"Okay, okay. Umm… I don't know. Most embarrassing moment?"

"Now we are getting somewhere," he smiled sincerely. "When I was two, I fell off the slide and into the sand."

"You fell off the slide?" she burst out into laughter. "How does that even happen?"

"I don't even know," he laughed alongside of her. "I guess I just didn't stop," he squeezed her hand. "And my best friend came trotting over to me, and helped me get up," he began. "It was my first memory," he whispered.

"It's crazy how you remember something that happened when you were two," she said, stoking his hand with her thumb. "The earliest thing I remember was my first singing class then I was three. I blew everyone away," she looked at him, and was pleased that he smiled at her comment. Some people consider her condescending because of it, but it wasn't her fault that it was true.

"I bet you did," he said, earning him a smile. He had passed one of her tests. "But, I think, that if you try hard enough, and if you're in the right setting, you might remember something even earlier than that."

"I don't know about that," she said honestly. "It's hard to remember everything I did a month ago, much less twenty-two years ago."

"It's possible," he argued. "It may not be a memory in exact detail," he said, " but I think it's possible to remember little snippets of a memory. Certain scenes, you know? You just need a right trigger."

"Okay. Well if I remember something earlier, I'll let you know," she said. "But I still don't know your name. And I've only got one question left."

"Save it," he said, standing up, but still holding on to her hand.

"Okay…" she said slowly, not quite sure what was going on.

"We're going on a little adventure. And don't worry, I'm sure everyone won't mind."

"An adventure…" she started.

"Trust me," he said, and she shouldn't. She was a firm believer in planning steps ahead of time and anticipating the future. But sensing the sincerity in his beautiful eyes and the kindness in his face, she knew she had no choice.

"Okay."

* * *

"The grocery store..." she commented when he pulled over, still in shock that she just rode in her mystery man's car (and rested her hand on his knee the entire way there, she should add). This was so… spontaneous. This entire thing. Honestly, her entire plan went out the window the moment he refused to tell her his name, and honestly she couldn't be more glad. There was rush of excitement at not knowing what could happen next. It was refreshing. It was exhilarating. It was all because of him. She was loving every minute she was spending with him, and couldn't wait to figure out his name.

"Yup. Got to buy a couple of snacks," he said, before running out to open her door. He really was too endearing for his own good.

"But we just ate," she looked at him incredulously, taking ahold of his hand.

"That was 20 minutes ago! And that was dessert, you can eat snacks anytime. That's why they're called snacks," he teased.

He grabbed a basket, and led her inside the grocery store. She followed his lead, and she never know she could be so interested in someone before. The way his eyes moved when he looked around. The way his eyebrows furrowed when he was deep in thought. She also loved the way he smelled. He wasn't drenched in cologne, he smelled naturally pleasant and comforting and soothing. He was just so... fascinating. She wanted to know every bit of him. Not just his name.

"Aha! Here we go," he said, and she had been so busy looking at him that she didn't even noticed that they were already in the snack aisle. She watched as he picked up her favorite snack.

"Chocolate covered pretzels!" she exclaimed. "That's my absolute favorite. I've been eating those since I was young."

"Yeah? Me too," he said as he placed it in the basket.

"This is nice," she said, as they waited in line to pay. It was a unique adventure, that was for sure, but it was still nice just to be with him.

"Just wait until you see where we go next," he said, as the register rang them up. Together, they exited the store hand-in-hand, and the adrenaline in her heart only grew with every second she spent with him.

* * *

"Okay, you can open your eyes in three… two… one," he said to her, and at the end at the countdown she opened to eyes to see what their next stop in their adventure was.

"The park," she smiled at him, letting him guide her over to the slide.

"I'm going to recreate my most embarrassing moment for you," he told her, running up to the stairs.

"You going to break it. This was meant for toddlers, not guys in their mid-twenties," she giggled, eager to watch.

"So far, so good," he said as he climbed the stairs. He stopped right before the slide, and taking a deep breath, he went down the slide.

Or at least attempted to.

He was stuck in the slide. Right at the top. Of course he was too big for it. Rachel couldn't contain her laughter as she watched him try to get unstuck.

"Don't worry about me," he called out to her, "I'm just fine-"

Rachel gasped as she saw fall out of the slide as he attempted to weasel his way out through the side. She immediately dropped the bag of pretzels she was holding and ran to him. Kneeling down, she cradled his head to her chest.

"Now I've got a new most embarrassing moment," he chuckled at her.

"This isn't funny! You got hurt!" she stroked the sides of face.

"Eh. Ended up where I wanted anyway," he said, and she halted her strokes.

"Smooth," she smirked, yet she did not pull away.

He leaned up slightly, and placed his hand on her face. She instantly leaned into his touch, and stared straight into his eyes, the color forever burned into her mind.

"You really don't know my name, do you?" he whispered, and she pulled back slightly.

"Should I?" she asked. What did he know that she didn't?

"20," he said, and he stood up, sticking a hand out to help her up. "I'll tell my name before this day ends," he said solemnly, and while a part of her was relieved that would know his name soon, the other part of her wanted to figure of his name for herself. The curiosity in her was higher than ever.

"It's almost sunset," he said, taking her hand. "And I wanted to try something new with you. It's little dangerous though, are you up for it?" he grinned at her.

"Of course," she squeezed his hand.

"Good, because we," he pointed to the monkey bars, "are watching the sunset on that."

She stared at him in disbelief. "I don't think I can climb those things, much less go on top of one of those."

"I'll help you," he said eagerly, letting go of her hand. She watched as he walked over to the forgotten bag of pretzels and when he was well within reach, he threw it up on the bars with ease.

"Okay, now I'm going to carry you up."

"Wait, no, you go first."

"But you can't carry me, silly," he poked her nose before picking her up, and gently placing her on top of the bars.

"Don't let go of me," she cried once she was properly seated, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'll be up there in five seconds Rach," he said, and she reluctantly let go and watched as he easily climbed up right next to her.

"I'm surprised we fit," she joked as he opened the bag of chocolate covered pretzels, the smell instantly filling her nose.

"Yeah but, just don't move around too much. I don't want you to fall," he said offering her some pretzels.

She leaned closer to him, and linked arms with him. "If you I fall, you fall," she said before taking a bit.

She could smell him more distinctly now. And combined with the smell of the chocolate and pretzels, it was a unique, unforgettable aroma.

Truly unforgettable.

Just like his eyes. And his smile.

_But I think it's possible to remember little snippets of a memory._

His words from earlier suddenly return to her head, and instantly her mind stormed up a little flash, a second of a memory. It was instant, so fast, but still she knew what it was.

The park.

_Certain scenes, you know?_

She has another one. This time she's sitting on the very bench 15 feet away, and she's right next to Carole, eating chocolate covered pretzels.

_You just need a right trigger._

She then saw Carole shout, and before long she's running towards him, a younger version of him, him and his light brown eyes, and his comforting smell, now mixed with the salty chocolate she was eating, and when she finally arrived there, there were no tears. He simply smiled at her, and she smiled back.

Everything suddenly clicked.

She knew his name all along.

"Finn," she whispered, more in confirmation to herself.

"Hm? What did you just say?" he asked, wiping the crumbs off his face.

"Finn Hudson," she repeated more confidently this time. "You're Finn Hudson," she said, looking him straight in the eye. "It's you."

And then he kissed her, right as the pink and purple sky turned gray, right as the sun set, and he tasted like chocolate and something so… so distinctly Finn. Almost like his smell. It was sensuous. _He_ was sensuous. It was too good to be reality, yet better than a dream. She couldn't believe it. This man, her mysterious Finn, was kissing her, and she gladly kissed him back, her hand never leaving his cheek.

"I knew you would remember," he said while his thumb caressed her face, his delicate touch reminding her that he was in fact real.

Which only made her want to kiss him again.

She leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his, eager to memorize the feel of his kiss. It was different this time. It was rougher, more firm, and she loved it just as much as the first. Rachel wondered just how many types of kisses he could have. She wanted to know them all.

"I never forgot your eyes," he said, his forehead resting against hers. "I don't remember going down the slide, I don't remember whatever in the hell I did to make myself fall, but I do remember your eyes. And your smile, and how everything tied together to shape your face, to shape you. You know… I would ask my mom about you all the time. And you… you were one of the main reasons why I moved to New York."

She could feel the pools welling up in her eyes. The two of them were finally coming full circle. "If only you knew how crazy I was about you, Finn." It felt nice to finally say the name to the actual person. "You were my greatest mystery. You were the reason why I came to Lima seven years ago and even today. My dads, well I couldn't ask them about you the way you asked your mom about me. They were my dads… I didn't want them involved. It's why I didn't know what you looked like. Or how you have a brother. All of what I knew what through their conversations. Oh goodness, it's also probably why I thought your brother was you."

"Wait," he laughed, "you thought Kurt was me?"

"It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know what you looked like. All I've ever seen were pictures, and you were always looking at me."

"That's because even then I knew how pretty you are. Not bad for a two year old."

She blushed, and he immediately kissed her again. It was a simple peck this time, she noted, but still very much welcomed.

"It's a good thing I didn't actually call Kurt 'Finn.' Do you know how embarrassing that would have been?"

"Like falling off a slide embarrassing?" he teased, and it was her turn to kiss him.

"Earlier, when you didn't know my name, I thought you didn't know who Finn was at all. I was determined, to make you remember. Little did I know, you were kind of obsessed with me too," he smirked.

"The idea of you. I was so curious with the idea of you. But I'm glad everything turned out the way it did. I got to know you. Not just your name. Still, everything's just so insane. After all this time, after all these years… it's you I've been thinking of. Only you. Finn. My mystery man. My Finn. I finally found you."

* * *

"Where have you been?" Tina asked when they returned after spending a couple more hours getting reacquainted and enjoying the dark sky now illuminated by dazzling stars. Rachel tried her best to hid her smile, seeing how Mike's arm was currently wrapped around her best friend. Turned out, going to Lima was a very good idea, especially since everything _didn't_ go the way she planned.

"Busy, like you," she laughed. "Tina, this is my best friend Finn. Finn this is my best friend Tina."

"No freaking way," Tina gasped. "But…"

"Oh, the other Finn. He's actually my step-brother, Kurt." Finn smiled. "But yeah, I'm the real Finn. Nice to meet you," he stuck is hand out.

"Well, Finn, I hope you know how crazy Rachel's been for you for the past 20 years."

"I hope she knows how crazy I've been for her for the past 25 years. All my life," he smiled at her.

"If it weren't for you Finn," Tina began, and Rachel was worried for moment at what she would say. "I wouldn't have met Mike, so thank you." Tina ignored Finn's outstretched hand and went straight for a hug.

"Oh good, you're back," they turned to see Kurt coming toward them. "Thank god," Kurt started, before noticing the close proximity between his brother and Rachel. "Oh my… it happened, didn't it?"

"What are you talking about, Kurt?" Finn sighed, wrapping his arm around Rachel before shooting her a smile.

"You got together!" Kurt clasped his hands in delight. "This is wonderful! Spectacular!"

"Kurt? What-"

"He means," they heard another voice say, "that's it's about time Finn got the girl. Hi," the man took off his hat and smiled at Rachel, "I'm Burt, and I cannot thank you enough for coming."

"Aw," Carole came soon after with Rachel's dads. "I've been waiting for this moment since the day you were born, Rachel!" she exclaimed, pulling them both in for a hug.

"Carole, are we missing something here," Hiram glanced back and forth between his daughter and Finn.

"Mr. and Mr. Berry," Finn stepped forward. "I'm Finn Hudson, the son of Carole Hudson Hummel, the assistant director of some cheesy action movie, the go-to repairman of your home, and the long lost best friend of Rachel. And with your blessing, I'd like to date your daughter," he finished, and if Rachel weren't so touched by his impromptu speech, she would have laughed. She was dating him with or without her dads' blessing.

"Had we've known that this would happen, why we would have tried to set you up years ago!" Leroy said, in awe by the surprise turn of events.

"Forgot the whole dating part, you have our blessing to marry her," Hiram said, there was no denying the blush on both of Finn and Rachel's faces.

* * *

"Hey, you," Rachel said, seeing Finn coming up behind her in their bathroom mirror. She turned around to kiss Finn's nose as he approached her from behind. "I'm surprised you're up."

"Couldn't sleep without someone kicking my shins," Finn yawned, earning him a playful slap in the chest. "What can I say? With two years of you in my bed every night, I guess I've gotten used it," he teased, tickling her sides, before getting playfully slapped once more.

"And to think," Rachel began, her hands on her hips, "I was going to make you breakfast. But since you insulted my sleeping habits, there will be no breakfast for you."

"Come on," Finn pouted, which was one of Rachel's weaknesses. Still, she persistently shook her head. "Fine, _I'll_ make the _both_ of us breakfast."

"Really?" Rachel asked, taking a step toward him before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yup," Finn mumbled, his lips lowering down to kiss her neck. "On one condition."

"Finn," Rachel sighed, gently pushing him back, knowing exactly what he was going to propose. "We've been through this before. You can't come today."

"But…" Finn pouted again, and this time she kissed him before pulling him in for a hug.

"You know you can't see me in my dress before our wedding," she smiled her usual smile whenever the subject of their wedding came up.

"But Tina and Kurt get to go."

"Well, they are my best friends," Rachel justified. After Lima, Rachel had gotten so close with Kurt that Finn began to get jealous at the amount of time she spent with his stepbrother.

"But I was your best friend first."

"Yes but I'm marrying you. You can't see it until right before I go down the aisle."

"You don't have to go today," Finn began kissing her again. Of course he knew all her weaknesses. "It's one of the rare days we both have off," he said, and she couldn't deny that. Between working toward a second Tony nomination and directing a high-budget movie, the two of them were busier than ever, and a huge part of her was more than willing to give into Finn's pleas. "You can just stay here all day with me. In bed. I won't even mind you kicking my shins."

Finn placed his hands on her waist and continued to kiss her as his hands worked their up. She was so tempted, and ready for Finn to take her right then and there, but then she snapped out of it. "Our wedding will be here before you know it, I have to do this today. No buts. My dress has to be perfect, especially for the pictures, which by the way, I promised Kurt he could direct. You know there's no way he'll let you _not_ look at the camera."

"It's bad enough that he's stealing you today, but he's banning my classic pose? It's not fair," Finn frowned, and Rachel only laughed. Honestly, she loved how Finn always was photographed looking at her, even now. But having at least one photo with his eyes on the camera would be nice.

"I should get ready," she turned back around to the mirror before Finn spun her back around.

"I miss you already."

"Please, you've had plenty of me last night," she kissed him, because really, how could she not?

"And I guess the two years before that," he kissed her this time. And alternating kisses back and forth between conversations was one of their favorite things to do.

"And the quarter of a century before that," she smiled before kissing him.

"And tonight," he kissed her harder, more suggestively.

"And tomorrow," she kissed him, holding it longer than the others.

"And the rest of forever," he whispered, before they both dove down to fuse their mouths together. She had learned most of his kisses by now - how he kisses in the morning versus the night, the kisses before and after work, the light ones, the heavy ones, the one that came after she said yes. There's only one she couldn't wait to learn: the kiss he would give to her as the bride.

"So really, I think you can spare one afternoon," she pulled away.

"Okay. Okay. I can't wait to see it," he said, with twinkle in his eye, and she couldn't wait for him to see it too.

"I love you."

"You loves you, too."

* * *

_AN: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the other stories I need to write. I promise I'll post them... eventually. Please, feel free to ask me any questions, make a request, or even send me a reminder to update. Thank you for reading!_


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